Staff Correspondent

BNP on Sunday paid homage to its founder and late president Ziaur Rahman, marking its 46th founding anniversary.

Several thousand party leaders and activists, led by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, placed wreaths at Zia’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar grave around 11:30 am and offered fateha there.

They also joined a special prayer (munajat) seeking the salvation of Zia’s departed soul and the good health of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

While the party is in high spirits this year, buoyed by the fall of its longtime rival, the Awami League, after nearly 16 years, BNP opted to mark its founding anniversary in a limited manner.

The party has shortened its previously announced elaborate programmes due to the severe flooding affecting the country's eastern region.

To mark the day, the party flag was hoisted atop the buildings of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office and other offices across the country in the morning.

The BNP has arranged a doa mahfil in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office in the afternoon, seeking divine blessings for those affected by the flooding, for those who were killed and injured in the recent student-led mass movement, and for the swift recovery of Khaleda Zia, the widow of Ziaur Rahman.

At a recent meeting, the BNP's standing committee canceled the five-day programmes and allocated the funds intended for these events to the party’s relief fund. This fund will be used to assist the flood victims.

BNP's associate bodies and all their units across the country are marking the day with due respect by holding doa mahfil, discussions, and rallies.

In its 45-year journey, the BNP has been in power four times and on the opposition bench twice. BNP has been out of power for nearly 18 years since the 1/11 political changeover.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in separate messages congratulated the people of the country, party leaders, workers, and well-wishers on the occasion.